Palliative care's dying with dignity

By Edward B. Scharfenberger, Commentary

Published 6:51 pm, Tuesday, July 7, 2015

The recent conference in Colonie promoting assisted suicide points to the progress of the so-called "death with dignity" movement, which would reverse the ancient Hippocratic Oath to "do no harm" in favor of allowing physicians to become active agents in the deaths of patients.

The proponents of such a change in the law are no doubt motivated by a noble desire to prevent suffering. However, in so doing, they are seeking to sanitize the dying process in a dangerous way. What's more, they have latched on to the offensive argument that there is something inherently undignified about a natural death.

As a priest of 42 years, I can tell you that nothing can be further from the truth. In my priestly ministry, I have been at the deathbeds of more people than I can count. Usually, these individuals are elderly, but I have had the sad duty of consoling those burying children or young adults as well. No one wants to see a loved one die, but, without exception, the families to whom I have ministered have seen it not only as their duty but as their privilege to care for and see their loved ones through to the point where God called them home. Most of the deaths I have witnessed, including my own father's earlier this year, have been holy and peaceful.

Science has given us drugs that can be used to poison to death those who are suffering from the fear and depression that often accompanies terminal illness. But it has also given us something much more useful — palliative care, which enables medical personnel to control pain in remarkable ways, while at the same time preparing patients emotionally and spiritually for what is to come.

I appeal to our state legislators to reject legislation that promotes suicide for those considered as unuseful or a burden to society.

Instead, we should be investing in the training of doctors and nurses to provide palliative care, and increasing funding for hospice care, which helps terminally ill individuals conclude their earthly journey in an environment of compassion and love, free of pain and comforted by the support of their families and a caring staff. It is here where we see true death with dignity.